Queen Bee Research Articles

Cryopreservation effects on drone sperm Apis mellifera L. morphometric parameters and ultrastructure

Instrumental insemination of queen bees using cryopreserved sperm is an important biotechnological tool to address the issues of contemporary beekeeping. Long-term cryopreservation is detrimental to sperm function and drone fertility, killing more than 50% of the sperm during the process. Prediction of cryopreservation damage from freezing drone semen remains elusive. The purpose of this study was to assess the impact of long-term cryopreservation in “Kakpakov diluents” (C46) on morphometric measurements of sperm head of the Apis mellifera L. and ultrastructure. For the experiment, sperm samples from the cryobank of the Federal Beekeeping Research Centre (Russia), frozen since 1993, 2011 and 2013 were used. In the present study, it was found out that cryopreservation had a considerable impact on the drone sperm head morphometry. Sperm head measurements of cryopreserved samples were significantly lower compared with the extended sample for morphometric measurements of the nucleus area 3.55±0.12, 4.07±0.1, 4.31±0.04 (5.57±0.03, respectively); nucleus perimeter 10.57±0.11, 11.11±0.13, 11.59±0.05 (11.72±0.06, respectively); nucleus length 4.66±0.05, 4.82±0.06, 5.07±0.02 (5.22±0.03, respectively); nucleus acrosome length 3.72±0.08, 3.65±0.08, 3.96±0.05 (4.24±0.04, respectively). Cryopreserved and thawed spermatozoa revealed changes in ultrastructure such as vacuolation of the axoneme, intranuclear vacuoles, and loss of the derivative's mitochondria. These details provide valuable data for further experiments on modification of the composition of cryomedium to minimize cryodamage in the semen of honey bee drones.

Feed biotechnology in the cultivation of bees queens artificially

In the Bukhara region, it is important to feed the bee colony with natural, vitamin-rich feed that accelerates the development of the colony, in addition to accelerating the development of the colony, for the artificial breeding of queen bees in early spring if there is no pollen. Natural nutrients have a positive effect on the development of the bee family and create a solid basis for the artificial breeding of queen bees.

РАЗВИТИЕ ПЛЕМЕННОГО ДЕЛА В ПЧЕЛОВОДСТВЕ

The theoretical basis of breeding is the biology of honey bees and, first of all, genetics. Scientists of the Moscow State University have made a great contribution to the study of the honey bee. Under the leadership of Professor of Moscow State University G. A. Kozhevnikov, F. A. Tyunin took place, who in 1919 created the Tula Experimental Beekeeping Station, and on its basis in 1930 the Scientific Research Institute of Beekeeping was organized. P. M. Komarov enriched science with his research on the physiology of honey bees, breeding and reproduction of queen bees. V. V. Alpatov's research intraspecific variability of bees served as the basis for the development of a classical methodology for biometric assessment of the exterior features of bees of various breeds. At the Tula experimental beekeeping station, A. S. Mikhailov was the first in Russia to manufacture equipment for instrumental insemination of queen bees and revealed the nature of inheritance of a number of traits in bees. In the 50s, an employee of the Research Institute of Beekeeping V. V. Shakes discovered the phenomenon of polyandry, improved the design of the apparatus for instrumental insemination of queen bees and revealed patterns of inheritance of exterior and interior features in bees. The work planned and carried out during 1964-1975 on the comparative study of the main bee breeds in specific beekeeping zones of the country under the leadership of the Research Institute of Beekeeping was completed by the preparation of the first plan for the breed zoning of bees in 1979 in 1992. according to the results of the approbation, the order of the Ministry of Agriculture of Russia approved the breeding achievement of the breed type "Prioksky", bred by the staff of the Research Institute of Beekeeping on the basis of crossing the gray mountain Caucasian and Central Russian breeds. The work on the breeding and testing of bees was carried out, as a result of which the Bashkir (2006), Far Eastern (2016), breed types Orlovsky (2008), Tatar (2010), Burzyanskaya Bortevaya (2011) of the Central Russian breed were approved and entered into the register of breeding achievements, "Krasnopolyansky (2008) gray mountain Caucasian, "Maykop" (2006), "Moscow" (2017) Carpathian breeds. Improved technologies of reproduction of high-quality queens with the use of modern inventory and equipment are proposed, the use of which allows to increase the productivity of bee colonies by 10-15%, and the yield of royal jelly by two times. In the 90s, according to the results of research by the staff of the Research Institute of Beekeeping and the Institute of General Genetics, the technology of deep freezing of drone sperm in liquid nitrogen at t-196 0C was patented. According to the results of selection and breeding work, the leading farms in Russia are recognized: for the gray mountain Caucasian breed - Krasnopolyanskaya experimental station of beekeeping, and for the Carpathian - "Maikopskoye", which are currently branches of the Federal State Budgetary Institution "FNC of Beekeeping". The Oryol Experimental Beekeeping Station was specialized in breeding Central Russian bees. Along with classical methods, the Research Institute of Beekeeping, in cooperation with the Institute of General Genetics and the Research Institute of Animal Husbandry, has begun work on the use of molecular genetic methods for identifying breeds of bees in Russia. The accumulated knowledge and experience in genetics, breeding and reproduction of bees is summarized in a number of publications and is widely covered in periodicals. The Research Institute of Beekeeping is approved by the breeding and information center for bee breeds and performs scientific and methodological guidance, as well as coordination of breeding work in the country. To this end, the necessary regulatory documents have been developed and a number of methodological recommendations have been issued for conducting breeding work in beekeeping.

Queen Bee Syndrome a Part of Sexual Politics or another Gendered Stereotype

Purpose: The aim of the study is to explore the queen bee stereotype in the financial institutions running its operations in Pakistan since there has been seen an increase in the trend of participation of women in the commercial banks.
 Design/Methodology/Approach: Using a qualitative research methodology, the lived experiences of the female at leadership position and their subordinates are explored; by recognizing the factors of phenomena of queen bee syndrome as well as the sexual politics prevalent in the banking industry.
 Findings: The results highlighted that the phenomena of queen bee is a gender based stereotype along with being a part of the sexual politics which is taking place in the banking sector since it is a sector having domination of male. The study also found that there is female to female acceptance and female leaders help their fellow women to grow in the banking sector.
 Implications/Originality/Value: The study is beneficial to all the stakeholders and provides a clear insight about the predominant dynamics in females working in the same organization but at different position which results in eliminating the perpetuation of biases within female staff members regarding the women leaders.

Translocation of Tebuconazole between Bee Matrices and Its Potential Threat on Honey Bee (Apis mellifera Linnaeus) Queens.

Simple SummaryNumerous pesticide residues have been found in bee products. It is unclear whether and to what degree pesticides migrate between different bee matrices. Even though the use of many common insecticides is strictly regulated, fungicide residues are still ubiquitous in bee matrices and data regarding this problem are still insufficient. The aim of this work was to determine the migration of fungicide tebuconazole between bee matrices and to assess its potential risk to honey bee queens. We found that tebuconazole mixed into wax has the potential to migrate into royal jelly (RJ), but no residues were found in honey bee queen larvae and newly emerged queens. The residues of tebuconazole found in queen cell cups and RJ decreased over time and probably posed no direct lethal threat to queens. Nevertheless, sub-lethal effects of tebuconazole on honey bee queens might occur even at low concentrations.Various pesticide residues can be found in different bee colony components. The queen larvae of honey bee (Apis mellifera L.) receive non-contaminated food from nurse bees. However, there is little knowledge about how pesticide residues affect developing bees. Additionally, little is known about the migration of lipophilic pesticides between bee matrices. While wax, royal jelly (RJ), and bee larvae are chemically distinct, they all contain lipids and we expected the lipophilic fungicide tebuconazole to be absorbed by different contacting materials. Our aim was to analyze the translocation of tebuconazole residues from queen cell wax to RJ, queen larvae, and newly emerged queens and to evaluate its potential risk to queens. We demonstrated the potential for the migration of tebuconazole from wax to RJ, with a strong dilution effect from the original contamination source. No residues were detected in queen bee larvae and newly emerged queens, indicating that the migration of tebuconazole probably did not directly endanger the queen bee, but there was some risk that tebuconazole might still affect the homeostasis of developing bees.

The influence of feed quality on the development and productivity of bee queens

The research aimed to study the effect of additional protein feeding of foster families with buckwheat stalks. The research was conducted during the summer period in 2020 and 2021. Ten foster families were selected for the experiment. All families are chosen by the method of analogs. Bees were kept in beehives. The uterus of the Carpathian breed took part in the investigation. Control families were fed 200 g of sugar syrup (1:1) twice daily for 8 and 21 hours. Feeding began three days before inoculation of queen cells and continued until the time of their sealing. The experimental families were fed the same amount of sugar syrup. Still, they received an additional 0.5 kg of protein feed in the form of bee pollen from buckwheat, the average protein content of which was 22.0 ± 0.32 %. Bee pollen is obtained by selection with the help of mounted on the auxiliary families of hinged pollen catchers with a diameter of the inlet of the pollen catcher lattice 5 mm. Pruning was carried out during the flowering of buckwheat in the period from morning to 13 o'clock in the afternoon. Adding bee pollination to the feed of foster families improves the growth and development of queens. Balancing the diet by nutrients increases the reproductive performance of the uterus, which is directly proportional to the level of their protein supply. When growing queens, the introduction of additional protein components of feed into the diet of foster families in the form of buckwheat leads to an increase in the maximum load of honeycomb by 11.4 %. The level of development of the pharyngeal glands in the researcher's families was 49 % higher. Balancing the diet by nutrients increases the reproductive performance of the queens of the Carpathian breed of bees by 16 % compared to the control.

An Exploration of Gender Bias Affecting Women in Medicine.

Women in medicine face barriers that hinder progress toward top leadership roles, and the industry remains plagued by the grand challenge of gender inequality. The purpose of this study was to explore how subtle and overt gender biases affect women physicians, physician leaders, researchers, and faculty working in academic health sciences environments and to further examine the association of these biases with workplace satisfaction. The study used a convergent mixed methods approach. Sampling from a list of medical schools in the United States, in conjunction with a list of each state's medical society, the authors analyzed the quantitative survey responses of 293 women in medicine. The authors conducted ordinary least squares multiple regression to assess the relationship of gender barriers on workplace satisfaction. Additionally, 132 of the 293 participants provided written open-ended responses that were explored using a qualitative content analysis methodology. The survey results showed that male culture, lack of sponsorship, lack of mentoring, and queen bee syndrome were associated with lower workplace satisfaction. The qualitative results provided illustrations of how participants experienced these biases. These results emphasize the obstacles that women face and highlight the detrimental nature of gender bias in medicine. The authors conclude by presenting concrete recommendations for managers endeavoring to improve the culture of gender equity and inclusivity.

Feeding stimulates functional abilities of queen bees of the Carpathian subspecies

The researches were conductedon queen bees of the Carpathian subspecies in conditions of Tajikistan. Four groups of similar families were formed, 10 in each group. In the control group, sugar syrup (1:2) was given as a stimulating feeding, in small portions of 700 ml. Bees of the first experimental group were fed with the sugar syrup, with the addition of drone larvas’ homogenate. The second group was fed with the sugar syrup with addition of a feed mixture “Similak”, the third group - sugar syrup with the addition of a compositional form consisting of a feed mixture “Similak” and the drone larvas’ homogenate. In the experimental groups, in contrast to the control group, an increase in the egg production of queen bees and the brood breeding reflex by 1.3-1.44 times was found.In general, it has been established that to stimulate the physiological processes in bee’ organism, growth and development of colonies in spring, it is necessary to use stimulating feeding by sugar syrup in combination with drone larvas’ homogenate and feed mixture “Similak” 700 ml each.

Oxygen Consumption as a Measurement of Diapause Termination in the Korean Native Bumblebee, Bombus ignitus

Bumblebees are a commercially important pollinator of both agricultural crops and natural plants, particularly tomato, which require huge, buzzing pollinators. The artificial rearing of these bees is increasing to meet the growing demand, and breaking diapause is a critical element in this process. As the pre-diapause Bombus ignitus queen has a higher metabolic rate than that of the post-diapause B. ignitus queen, we hypothesized that there would be a difference in the oxygen consumption of the queen before and after wintering. Therefore, we measured the rate of oxygen consumption of B. ignitus queens to create a barometer for evaluating diapause termination. The O2 uptake of B. ignitus queens was 39.0 μL/㎎ wt./min just after emergence and increased rapidly from 186.3 μL/㎎ wt./min at 6 h after emergence to 354.2 μL/㎎ wt./min one day after emergence. The rates of oxygen uptake of the queens during the first 6 days after emergence raised from 354.8 μL/㎎ wt./min at one day to a maximum level of 494.7 μL/㎎ wt./min in the 5-day-old queens, which corresponds to 3.4-fold increase from that just after emergence. When evaluating the oxygen consumption of queens that are presumed to have completed hibernation in the nature, we found that the oxygen consumption was 265.1~306.2 μL/㎎ wt./min, similar to that of the queen bees in this study the first day after hibernation. Therefore, we defined the standard for termination of dormancy of B. ignitus queen bees in the range of 250~300 μL/㎎ wt./min. Furthermore, our results indicate that oxygen consumption can provide important information for the indoor rearing of B. ignitus. During the wintering period, the oxygen consumption of the B. ignitus queen bees clearly increased as time passed, and the oxygen consumption value of the queen bees sampled at the 4th month of hibernation was 195.7 μL/㎎ wt./min, which was close to the oxygen consumption value at the end of hibernation. The queen bees, which were stored at 2.5℃ for artificial wintering, showed the highest oxygen consumption value after the end of hibernation. Based on these findings, we concluded that oxygen consumption of the bumblebee can provide rare insight for artificially raising B. ignitus as a barometer for measuring diapause termination in this species.

Kraliçe Arı Sendromu, Cam Tavan ve Yılmazlık Arasındaki İlişki: Kadın Öğretmenler | The Relationship Between Queen Bee Syndrome, Glass Ceiling and Resilience: Female Teachers

This research aims to reveal the relationship between queen bee syndrome, glass ceiling and resilience. Accordingly, answer to the question regarding the female teachers’ views on the factors that affect queen bee syndrome, glass ceiling and resilience. The research tested the theoretical model which shows the relationship between queen bee syndrome, glass ceiling and resilience and the factors were modeled. The model was modified by removing the dimensions of family life, self confidence and stereotyped biases related to the glass ceiling. Having a relational survey model, the research used stratified sampling method to determine the target population. The research sample held a total of 377 female teachers working in public schools in Antalya province. This research deployed “Queen Bee Syndrome”, “Glass Ceiling” and “Resilience” scales developed by the researchers. SPSS 13.00 and LISREL 8.70 statistical package programs were used during data analysis. The research findings suggested that female teachers were free from any no solidarity behavior. A significant relationship was identified across queen bee syndrome, glass ceiling and resilience. There was also found a high relationship between queen bee syndrome and glass ceiling but a low and positive correlation between queen bee syndrome and resilience. A negative and low relationship was noted between resilience and glass ceiling.

Anti-Tumor Effects of Queen Bee Acid (10-Hydroxy-2-Decenoic Acid) Alone and in Combination with Cyclophosphamide and Its Cellular Mechanisms against Ehrlich Solid Tumor in Mice

Queen bee acid or 10-hydroxy-2-decenoic acid (10-HDA) is one of the main and unique lipid components (fatty acids) in royal jelly. Previous studies have demonstrated that 10-HDA has various pharmacological and biological activities. The present study aims to evaluate the anti-tumor effects of 10-HDA alone and combined with cyclophosphamide (CP), as an alkylating agent which widely used for the treatment of neoplastic cancers, against the Ehrlich solid tumors (EST) in mice. Methods: A total of 72 female Swiss albino mice were divided into eight groups. EST mice were treated with 10-HDA (2.5 and 5 mg/kg) alone and combined with CP (25 mg/kg) orally once a day for 2 weeks. Tumor growth inhibition, body weight, the serum level of alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) and carcinoembryonic antigen tumor (CAE), liver and kidney enzymes, tumor lipid peroxidation (LPO) and nitric oxide (NO), antioxidant enzymes (e.g. glutathione reductase (GR), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), catalase enzyme (CAT)), tumor necrosis factor alpha level (TNF-α), and the apoptosis-regulatory genes expression were assessed in tested mice. Results: the findings exhibited that treatment of EST-suffering mice with 10-HDA at the doses of 2.5 and 5 mg/kg especially in combination with CP significantly (p < 0.001) decreased the tumor volume and inhibition rate, tumor markers (AFP and CEA), serum level of liver and kidney, LPO and NO, TNF-α level, as well as the expression level of Bcl-2 in comparison with the mice in the C2 group; while 10-HDA at the doses of 2.5 and 5 mg/kg especially in combination with CP significantly (p < 0.001) improved the level of antioxidant enzymes of GPx, CAT, and SOD and the expression level of caspase-3 and Bax genes. Conclusions: According to the results of the present investigations, 10-HDA at the doses of 2.5 and 5 mg/kg especially in combination with CP showed promising antitumor effects against EST in mice and can be recommended as a new or alternative anticancer agent against tumor; nevertheless, further investigations, particularly in clinical setting, are required to confirm these results.

Seasonal Variations in the Organization and Structure of Apis cerana cerana Swarm Queen Cells

This paper describes the organization and structure of the swarm queen cells of Apis cerana cerana in spring, summer, and autumn in Kunming, Yunnan Province, China. We measured the following indices to reveal the organization rule of swarm cells: number of swarm cells built by each colony during different seasons; the shortest distance between two adjacent swarm cells on the comb; distance between swarm cell base and bottom bar of movable frame. We revealed the swarm cells structural characteristics using the following indicators: maximum diameter of swarm cell, the length between mouth and bottom of swarm cell, depth between maximum diameter and bottom of swarm cell, and the ratio of maximum diameter to depth between maximum diameter and bottom of swarm cell. Regarding seasonal differences, results indicated a significant variation in the distance between the swarm cell base and the bottom bar of the movable frame. Still, no such effect was observed in the shortest distance between two adjacent swarm cells. The maximum swarm cell diameter was not considerably influenced either, while the distance between the maximum diameter and the bottom of the swarm cell had substantial variation. The detected ratio of the maximum diameter to the depth between the maximum diameter and the bottom of theswarm cell indicated seasonal changes in the bottom shape of the swarm cell. This study clarifies the temporal and spatial distribution and structure of swarm cells of A. c. cerana. It establishes the basis for predicting the time and position of appearing swarm cells, thus allowing for a more precise determination of the shape and size of queen-cell punch and the ideal position of a cell cup on the bar of queen cup frames in artificial queen rearing.

Where Is the Honey Bee Queen Flying? The Original Case of a Foraging Queen.

Simple SummaryReproduction is the only task normally attributed to the queen due to its specific morpho-functional characteristics, while foraging activities are exclusively carried out by workers bees in the honey bee colony. For example, the queen’s proboscis is shorter than that of workers and, therefore, less suitable for exploring the inside of flowers to collect nectar. Olfactory and visual detection is also less developed in the queen than in workers, and it is well known how important these stimuli are in order to search for appropriate flowers and find the food source within the flower. In the countryside of northern Sardinia, a honey bee queen (Apis mellifera L.) was detected for the first time while foraging on a flower (a borage flower), most likely during an orientation flight before mating. The open, shallow corolla, and the excellent nectar secretion of the borage flower might have facilitated the queen bee activity. This new queen behaviour was based on the morphological traits of the specimen collected and photos taken in that moment. The observed foraging activity opens new and yet unexplored perspectives on the behaviour of queen bees outside the nest (or the hive), which could occasionally include tasks usually attributed only to workers.During a bee fauna survey in the countryside of northern Sardinia, a honey bee queen (Apis mellifera L.) was detected while foraging on a borage (Borago officinalis L.) flower in Uri, Province of Sassari, Italy, most likely during an orientation flight before mating. Morphological details, detectable from photos with the naked eye and stereomicroscopic observations, confirmed that the honey bee queen was sucking nectar from a flower. The enormous development of the abdomen, lack of pollen-collecting structures in the legs and other characteristics such as the typical distally bilobed shape of the mandibles, with long hairs on their outer surface, proved the structural differences between the queen specimen and the other castes of bees. The queen’s proboscis, which is shorter compared to the workers, may have been counterbalanced by the shape and nectar production of the borage flower. This new observation proves that the queen can feed herself under natural conditions, likely to obtain the energy required for flying. Although we cannot exclude disturbing factors that could explain this foraging behaviour of a queen observed for the first time, this note opens a new scenario and discusses this new finding in the context of the available literature on the queen’s behaviour and questions to be answered.

İzolasyon Koşullarının Bal Arılarının Morfolojisi ve Performansına Etkileri

Keeping honey bee colonies in isolated areas can cause inbreeding. The inbreeding over a long period is good for the purity of bee subspecies but also has some negative effects including the low performance of colonies. This study was performed on hybrid honey bee colonies placed in an isolated location for about five years to check the effects of inbreeding on them. The bees were able to mate with each other during this period of time without introducing new bee queens or bee packages. Some morphological characteristics and parameters were studied to test the purity of the bees and the presence of any negative effects due to inbreeding. The results showed the presence of variations between studied colonies without any negative effects on bee morphology, hygienic behavior, bee larvae development, brood rearing activity, and food storing activity. The study highlighted the absence of deleterious effects on honey bees due to inbreeding under isolation conditions.

Quality of queen bees in different ways of their production

Timely replacement of queens is one of the main zootechnical methods for maintaining the vital activity of bee families, and searching for ways to improve their quality is an urgent problem. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of the method of obtaining queen bees of Apis mellifera sossimai and Apis mellifera carpatica breeds on their reproductive functions and bee family productivity. To conduct research in the conditions of the apiary of honey-pollination area, three groups were established - control and two experimental, with nine bee colonies in each. In the first (control) group, uteruses were artificially removed from the nursery, in the second group - fistula uteri and the third – swarm uteri. The apiary was located at a point of 50×50 meters, bee families were kept in hives. According to the results of the study, it was established that the queen bee Apis mellifera carpatica was heavier than the queen bee Apis mellifera sossimai. The queen bees from the nursery are the smallest, and the swarm queen bees are slightly heavier than in other groups, although the difference was not statistically significant. Fistula queen bees produce the most eggs and provide the best brood quality. Fistula queen bees have better weight uniformity than swarm bees, which affects the productivity of families. Colonies with swarm queen bees are characterised by different levels of development, which complicates the maintenance of these families. The quality of queens is affected by the breeding method and the location of the queen cell in the honeycomb. The more queens the colony grows, the worse their quality. As it is complicated to establish optimal conditions in the nursery and the number of queen cells is large, this is the reason for the worst quality of queens. The results obtained are of practical importance for choosing a method of rearing queen bees of high quality to establish well-developed bee colonies

Structural Features of the Symbolic Macroconcept of Mother: from the First Sign to the Symbol

The research objective was to describe the Russian macroconcept of mother. The author analyzed its motivating and symbolic signs. The study was based on the National Corpus of the Russian language (www.ruscorpora.ru) and featured 15 etymological dictionaries. Nine out of 34 motivating signs could be identified as symbolic: creator, educator, Mother of God, head, earth, queen bee, start, reason, source. Most of the motivating signs indicated the antiquity of the macroconcept. Symbolic signs appeared to make up a quarter of the total volume of motivating signs. They can be combined into three groups: 1) (Divine) motherhood (four signs: creator, educator, Mother of God, earth); 2) foundation (three signs: start, reason, source); 3) superiority / leadership (two signs: head, queen bee). These three groups reflect the peculiarities of the Russian linguistic mentality, which preserved the memory of the cult of the Great Mother, reproduced first as the Mother Earth and later as Theotokos.

Effect of different queen cell sizes on the acceptance of grafted larvae in Apis cerana javana Fabr. Rearing

This study aims to evaluate Apis cerana javana Fabr. rearing based on differences in the queen cup sizes. A total of four queen bees were used with three different treatments and six replications, meanwhile, this study was conducted at Kembang Joyo Bee Farm, Malang, East Java. The results showed that the differences in the queen cup size had no significant effect on the success rate of queen rearing (p>0.05). The highest percentage of larvae acceptance (79%) was found in P3 treatment, followed by P2 (71%), while the lowest was found in P1 (63%). Furthermore, the highest percentage of larvae to pupae metamorphosis was found in P1 and P2 with a success rate of 100%, while the lowest was found in P3 with 89%. The highest percentage of pupae emergence was found in treatment P1 and P2 with a success rate of 100% and P3 with 94%. Based on the results, the difference queen cup sizes had no significant effect on the success rate of Apis cerana javana Fabr. rearing.

Ex-Situ conservation strategy with apisilviculture systems based on Trigona incisa

Luwu Utara District has the potential of natural resources and other supporting potentials in the development of the local bees Trigona incisa, but until now has not been inventoried accurately so there is no data base to formulate its development strategy in order to optimize the potential use. This study aims to determine Formulating an ex-situ conservation strategy for local beekeeping in North Luwu Regency.the potential development of local bees cultivation Trigona incisa in North Luwu . The research method used is direct observation, secondary data review, semi-structured interviews, ven diagrams, braistorming and discussion with target groups. The data collected consist of primary data and secondary data. The socioeconomic data obtained, analyzed descriptively, the role data between sectors were analyzed by Ven Diagram, policy data were analyzed with Content Analysis, while the local cultivation development strategy was analyzed by SWOT Analysis. The results showed that: North Luwu Regency had considerable potential in supporting the development of Trigona incisa local bees culture, among others: government policy, socio-cultural breeders, biophysical conditions and basic skills/knowledge of mastering several apiary technologies. The formulation of local bees cultivation development strategy in North Luwu Regency covers short and long term strategy. Short-term strategies include: Strengthening potential data base, network and information of farmers community through counseling/training. While long-term strategy include: Improvement of community empowerment of farmers through counseling/training (cultivation, harvest management, processing and marketing), creation of queen bee breeding center, and training of queen making and pest and disease control techniques.

Investigating Genetic and Phenotypic Variability of Queen Bees: Morphological and Reproductive Traits

Simple SummaryHoneybees have attracted considerable scientific and public interest in recent years. Besides pesticides and pathogens, failure or loss of the queen have been considered the most important factors leading to colony losses worldwide. The poor quality of the queen is a factor that ranks among the top reasons for bee colony failure. There are traits that can indicate the quality of a queen bee. This study aims to investigate the diversity in reproductive and morphological traits that can be useful in selective breeding programs for improving colony performance and survivability. The studied animals came from a population bred by a professional queen breeder in Northern Italy. Heritability and genetic correlations were estimated. According to our results, some of the traits showed good variability and they could be included as breeding goals in selection programs. Improving the quality of queens could directly impact honeybee colonies’ performance and survivability. Ultimately, it represents an added value to a queen bee-breeder company.The quality of the honeybee queen has an important effect on a colony’s development, productivity, and survival. Queen failure or loss is considered a leading cause for colonies’ mortality worldwide. The queen’s quality, resulting from her genetic background, developmental conditions, mating success, and environment, can be assessed by some morphological measures. The study aims to investigate variability for traits that could assess the quality of the queen. Related animals were enrolled in this study. Variance components were estimated fitting a mixed animal model to collected data. Heritabilities of body and tagmata weights ranged from 0.46 to 0.54, whereas lower estimates were found for the tagmata width and wing length. Heritabilities estimated for the spermatheca diameter and volume, number of ovarioles, and number of sperms were 0.17, 0.88, 0.70, and 0.57, respectively. Many phenotypic correlations related to size were high and positive, while weak correlations were found between morphology and reproductive traits. Introducing a queen’s traits in a selection program could improve colonies’ survivability. Further research should focus on better defining the correlations between the individual qualities of a queen and her colony’s performance.

Effective ways of keeping queen bees before and after instrumental insemination

The article presents theoretical and experimental data on the results of the instrumental insemination and alimentation of queen bees. Queen bees were bred and inseminated. It has been established that when using various methods of keeping queen bees, a dynamic pattern is observed when there is safekeeping of queen bees. So, in 2019, before insemination in all experimental groups, the death of 1 to 4 infertile queens was observed. The highest indicator was recorded in the first experimental group; this is due to the fact that there were not enough young bees in the transfer cells to fully feed the infertile queen. In 2020, when using various methods of keeping queen bees before and after insemination, a similar pattern is observed with respect to the safety of queen bees. In a comparative aspect, before and after insemination, a high death rate of queens was recorded in the I-experimental group - 4 pcs, respectively fetal - 16 pcs. Whereas in the II-experimental and IV-experimental groups, the safest keeping of 18-19 queens was recorded respectively. Whereas in 2021, the greatest safety of fetal queen bees was in the IV-experimental group - 90%, and in the II-experimental and III-experimental groups, 85% each in comparison with the I-experimental group - 75%. Consequently, when using the method of keeping infertile queens in the transfer cells with accompanying bees, 5 pieces each, there is a high death rate of queen bees. It was also confirmed that the method of keeping queens in a nursery frame without accompanying bees is less effective compared to the method of keeping queens in a nursery frame without accompanying bees. Also, when obtaining fetal queens by instrumental insemination, attention should be focused on phenotypic indicators when selecting infertile queens, since the size of the queen bee is directly correlated with the number of egg tubes and, accordingly, affects the egg production of the fetal queen bee.